2018年CRI Chinese brands show their vehicles can rival market leaders

 

Chinese car manufacturers are increasing their presence at the Beijing auto¹ show.

Domestic brands are showing their flare² for electric vehicles and SUVS.

Domestic brands including Geely and Hongqi are unveiling their lineups of fuel efficient cars.

SUVs and electric cars are popular in the Chinese market.

James Chao, Asia-Pacific chief at consultancy IHS Markit, says Chinese companies have a lot to offer.

"Within the Chinese brand space or Chinese companies, there is a fairly wide variety of competencies in quality and design. But for the top tier ones, it's clear that they're nearly globally competitive today. And you could see that of course just looking at the cars but you could also see it in their plans. I mean some of these automakers have serious plans to export to the United Sates, as an example, and I think that puts the established global automakers on notice."

Chinese automakers trail global rivals in traditional gasoline technology but industry analysts³ say the top Chinese brands are catching⁴ up in electrics.

BYD Auto, the biggest global electric brand by numbers sold, has debuted⁵ two hybrid⁶ SUVs and an electric concept car, the E-SEED, or Electric Sports Experience Environmental Device.

The company, which manufactures electric buses at a California factory and exports battery-powered taxis to Europe, is also displaying nine other hybrid and plug-in electric models.

Tesla has also brought its vehicles to Beijing, but Chao says the US brand faces an increasing number of Chinese competitors.

"They're mainly trying to take advantage of the regulations in China which favour battery electric vehicles. So a lot of these companies are being established in order to take advantage of those rules, as well as perhaps to try to be - quote,unquote - the next Tesla, or the China Tesla."

Chinese startups are making names for themselves in developing electric cars with enhanced communication and IT functions.

Auto startup NIO has unveiled its latest concept, the NIO EVE - a concept car designed with the assumption that by 2025, cars will be fully⁷ autonomous⁸. 

The startup, founded four years ago by entrepreneur William Li, is backed by multiple Chinese internet behemoths including Baidu and Tencent. 

Company President and co-founder Qin Lihong says consumer expectations are likely to shift in the future.

"We think the redefinition of user experience will be the greatest opportunity in this industry. Of course, a smart EV, the technology, the hardware, how we manufacture a car, of course they are very, very important. But we don't think all those, those are not differentiators, are not enough. In the future I think it's more like a new game, how we change the consumers in meanings of scale, change their mindset, which will be the right experience they should have with a smart EV." 

China accounted for half of last year's electric car sales globally.

Automakers say they expect electric vehicles to account for 35 to over 50 percent of autosales in China by 2025.

The Beijing auto show runs until May 4.

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

5 debuted   

初次表演，初次登台（debut的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• In late 2003 a full-size SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, debuted. 2003年末，全尺寸SUV的探路者无敌舰队，推出。
• The album debuted at number two and quickly went platinum. 专辑一亮相就荣登排行榜第二名，很快就取得了白金销量。

6 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。